Fujishibori in toilet roll

I got my first little fujishibori growing inside a toilet roll. I read somewhere this would be a good method for transferring plants w/o damaging their root system. I had forgotten what I sowed, Emma, I got this seed from you. The plants are growing in my self-made heated container where I grow my amaryllis normally. I must say that the heating mat I bought with 8 Watt is too weak and produces a mere 18 degrees C at the moment. This is not enough, at least not for my amaryllis that don't seem to develop a proper root system. One can see the cotylodons in this pic right next to the big amaryllis bulb.

That's ingenious using a cardboard tube that is open at the bottom to grow the MG transplants. Does the cardboard decompose quickly?

Joseph

great job! Congrats on your success!

Joseph (how are you???) I have used TP rolls for mine (paper towel cut in half as well), and yes they do a great and decompose rather quickly, it's nice to just pick the whole thing up and plant outdoors without harming their precious roots, we all know how tricky those roots can be.

Laurrie

Hi Laurrie,

Doing ok here...good to "see" you here! Thanks for the information, I may give it a try this summer!

Joseph

Yes Joseph, it's good to be back and I love the new "greenhouse" forum, don't remember that from before!!

If you think about it, we all have those TP rolls and why not use what we have, they seem to break down well, never really dug them back up later to really look but have had success and continue to use that method.

Fujibori junior was kicked out of the house today...

It will soon have brothers and sisters, hopefully indjallah (Arabic for "God willing").

Great idea recycling toliet paper rolls! Looks like it is working great for your MGs, gofast! :-)

Could you do this with a tomato seedling?

Yes, why not? Another reason, why I am using these, is to keep spider mite out...they normally climb up from the soil...They will have a hard time finding the MGs this year, so my theory...

However, mite is very clever, and it has been suggested that it travels by air taxi, i.e. aphid...

I am prepared better this year for the battle and I have spotted the mite already...it's up and running on time with my new MGs...

I have a question too about the TP rolls.Great idea.

I have started some MG's a few days ago,here is my list below.Some of them are already 3inches tall.
I started them in the little pellets one soaks in water.I would think I could stick those pellets into the rolls ?

Since I am new at growing MG I would like to ask
1.) when are you transplanting them into containers ?
2.) when would I in zone 5a be able to safely put them outdoors ?

Thank You,
Brig

A few days ago up to yesterday I planted:
IPOMOEA nil

Chocolate
Dbl.Pink Picotee
Asuka
Akasuki no Haru
Akathoukinoumi
Heian no Kagayaki
Heian no Kaori - not sprouted yet
Heian no Akatsuki
Akatsuki no mai - not sprouted yet

IPOMOEA PURPUREA
Grandpa Ott's
President Tyler

IPOMEA Tricolor - Heavenly blue

Sorry, I don't know anything about American time zones...I live in Morocco, we have now 23 degrees Celsius, my gardening season has started, I can sow outside now...a great deal of the ones I sowed 3 weeks ago are up and running...

I used these a couple of years ago with Canna seeds for a swap. But, I cut the rolls in half and I shouldn't have, I did not know the canna had a longer root than the two inches I gave it..lol.

It seems like it should work for the tomatoes since they need to be buried up to their necks. that's a great idea.

gofast,
yes I noticed that you are in Morocco.It must be heaven to grow in your clima ? or am I mistaken ?
My MG almost all of them came up from a few days ago and I will pot them up in containers probably already next week,at least I think so,the way they are growing for me.I don't have agreenhouse so I put my seedflats on a old radiator in a Hallway.
They are growing so quickly that I should have one of these Bio domes exept they are very expensive IMHO,
Brig

It's nice now Brig,

but it will get darn hot in the summer...morning glories like heat but not extreme heat...Emma in Texas will have similar conditions, I am sure, but still grows them quite successfully...

My preliminary evaluation of the use of toilet rolls for starting ipomoeas is as follows:

Pros:
1. Ideal for starting and keeping your seed located within a boundary. Initial microclimate seems to enhance germination...
2. Later when you transfer the plant to your pot or garden, cut open the toilet roll and remove the plant carefully without damaging its root(s). This is the best part, you actually will manage to get the seedling out quite easily without having to damage the pillar root.
3. Loo rolls decompose marvellously and if you don't have a shredder, it's one way of getting rid of your rolls.

Cons:

1. Plants tend to dehydrate more easily.
2. Creates also an ideal biotope for "Springschwänze"...(sorry I couldn't find the equivalent in English) the little white nematodes that wiggle and decompose soil and plant materials...
3. If you still manage to damage the roots, the wiggleworms will finish off your seedling. So beware of the creepycrawlies!